Undergarment



Aug. 18. 1925. 1,550,644

H. A. CARTER UNDERGARMENT Filed Oct. 24. 1924 'Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

HoEACE ALEEET CARTER,

LIAM CARTER COMPANY, TioN or MASSACHUSETTS.

or NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, Assioivon To TH'EWIT.-l

or NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS, A coEronA- UNDERGARMENT.

l Application fil-ea october 24, i924. seriai iro. musee. f

To all whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, HORACE ALBERT CARTER, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Needham, in the county of folk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement iii Undergarments,

' of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to undergarments, more articularly Womens undergarments,

and aims to provide an improved garment of the class mentioned, including both the bloomer and so-called step-in types of garments as Well as the combination or unionsuit type.

In thedrawings disclosing certain embodiments of my invention, chosen for illustrative purposes:

Figure 1 is an e evation of an undergarment embodying one form of `my invention,

lthe garment yas shown being ,extended flat-- wise as for display;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the garment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation, with parts broken away, showing one form of vsupporting means such as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fi 4 is a cross section substantially on Y the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig."5 is a view in velevation vof the lower section of a modified form of leg portion which may be employed in connection with thegarment illustrated. i

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4, the undergarment there shown is .o f bloomer type. iAny suitable material may be employed in ormin the garment, such as woven or knitted -fa ric, desirably relativelyi light in Weight. As illustrated,.the garment is composed o a knitted fabric having the wales extending vertically, and mayfbe formed from threads or yarns of cotton, artificial or natural silk, or other, suitable material includin mixed materials.

As ustrated, the garment comprises a main or body portion, indicated as a whole at 1, including a front section 2 of roughly rectan ar form, and a rear section 3, the latter eing provided with a seat portion 4 including a preferably reinforced crotch 'sec- Nor- Vupwardly a l the rear section 3 to the upper edge of the vendsl unite .the garment at their up tion ormedo av plurality of thicknesses of material. Y

Extending downwardly vfrom said front and rear sections are the leg coverings oi" members 5,6. As shown in Figs. l and 2, the leg members are athei'ed att-lie bottom as by elastic tape or i e elements 7 ,18 so as' to provide a snu fit about the leg of the wearer. The sai leg coverings may be of any suitable length sb as tolterminate eithe'r above or below the nee.

It will be observed that the front and rear sections 2, 3 are formed at their opposite sides with free side edges along substam tially their entire vertical extent, and desirably from a point Well down -upon the' thigh and toward the knee'of the wearerto a point ator above the waist line. Said front and rear sections may be finished at their said sideedges in any suitable manner, as by means of the border or edging nieces 9, 10, of any suitable material, desirably similar to that of the garment proper. As shown, said border pieces 9, 10 are respectively folded upon itself and secured alon its free edges to thfe garment by any suitab e stitching, said strip extending continuously from theupper edge ofthe front section 2'downwardly alon one side edge of the latter, and ong the adjacent side edge of latter.

Any Suitable support the garment in position yupon the In igs. 1 to 4 I have shown for this purpose a circumferentially disposed belt-like su porting member 11 havinglits to'form a'continuous band at theupper portion of the garment body. Desirably vsaid Supporting member 11 has a total len h somewhat exceeding the combined wi th of the iront and rear sections 2, 3 at their upper extremities and is secured to the latterin Such manner as to provide free sections 12, 13 of the supporting member at o posite sides of the garment re'- spectively. f aid supporting member 11 as herein shown constitutes the sole connecting means between the front and rear sectionsof er portions, scribed construction .an arrangement beiti such as. to provide a vertica y elonga Ameans may be employed tol formed of a single strip of material the del .i

opening, vent, or open area 14, 15 at each side of the garment substantially 1n the vmanner illustrated. Said openings are so has been found objectionable because of its' undue warmth. In accordance with my invention, however, adequate ventilation is afforded by suitable means, herein constituted in said open areas or vents 14, 15 at the opposite sides of the garment., By the same means the garment is also rendered adjustable or expansible circumferentia-lly to meet the individual requirements of the wearer, assuri a. better fitting and more comfortable article of underwear. l

Referring again to Figs. 1-4, said supporting member 11 may be of any suitable formation but preferably includes an element, herein the elastic tape 16 (see particularly Figs. 3and 4) supported between an outer strip 17, which may be of knitted silk Yor other material similar to the fabric of the garment proper, and having its upper and lower edges folded in toward each other as indicated at 18, 19. At the vopposite face of the tape 16 is an inner strip 20 of woven lor other tape-like material, also( preferably having its upper and lower edges folded inwardly. Said strips .17 and 20 are secured to each other and to the garment body by l lines of stitching 21, 22 respectively above and below the elastic tape 16. yIf desired a similar construction may be employed at the lower edges of the ,leg portionsA for the elastic elements 7, 8y previously mentioned.

It will be understood that within the scope.'

of my invention the garment need not be provided with elastically confined lower edges for they leg portions, since in the leg coverings may terminate in unconned straight or outwardly flaring bottom portions, for example, in the manner illustrated at 25 in Fig. 5.

An undergarment constructed in accordance with myinvention is much 4freer and less apt to pull, bind, or bunch at pa given point, since the front and back portions are separated or spaced, thus enabling them to move relatively to each other in conformity with the movement of the wearer. Said front and rear sections are preferably detached from each other from 'a int adjacent the waist well down towar desirably over the major portion of their length between the waist and knee, and are the knee,

united' at or near the waist only and preferablv elastically or yieldingly, at least in the bloomer type of garment. This feature is 'of especial advantage when the garment is worn-beneath a corset, girdle, or other relatively tight garment, since the open side areas preferably extend for enough down toward the knees as to come below the lower edge of the corset or the like, thus affording lateral freedom at the lower portion of the, garment although the waist or upper portion thereof may be confined. In this manner one of the main objections in the completely enclosed bloomer is obviated.

From the.v foregoing it will be apparent thatI my' invention may be variously embodied and comprehends the provision of open areas such as longitudinal vents herein shown at the opposite sides of the garment which may be of any desired type, either terminating combined with the lower portion an upper portionv above the waist line and in the nature of a chemise or the like, in any instance the lowerportion terminating lin loither elastically confined or free leg memers.

My invention is not limited to the illus- `trat-ive embodiments thereof shown and described herein.

I claimat the waist line, or having A womans garmentof bloomer type havf s ing a body portion including a. front section,

a rear section, tubular leg portions extending A downwardly, said front and rear sections being detached and spaced from .each other at the opposite sides of the .garment fora substantial distance between the waist vand 

